Direction signal for automobiles



,April 29, 1924. 1,492,089

W. E. SQUIER DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES r Filed March 6, 1922 -2 Sheets-Sheet. ,1

TAE-1- Suva/Wto:

April 29, 1924. 1,492,089

.' W. E.v SQUIER y DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 6( 1922 2 Shee'cs-Sheet 2 El E E wbb/WAO S90/6 @How ma o Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

T E s DIRECTION SIGNAL non AUTOMOBILES.

Application led March 6, 1922. Serial No. 541,388.

To all lwhom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that WILLIAM E. SQUIER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Burkburnett, in the county of Wichita and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction Signals for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will l0 enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved direction signal for automobiles and similar vehicles and one object of the invention is to provide a direction signal which may be mounted at the front or at the rear of the automobile and may be operated to display a signal and at the same time illuminate it so that the signal may be readily seen.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for controlling turning of the indicating yelement from one position to another and to so construct this controlling mechanism that when a switch is closed to bring selected contact elements into engagement, a circuit may be completed until the indicator has turned to the desired position, the circuit being then broken to permit a latching element to move into an operative position and hold the indicating element in the desired position.

Another object of the invention is to construct this device that contact elements carried yby a movable element of the switch may beconnected with contact elements engaging a sleeve extension of a gear carried by the stem rotatably mounting the indicator element, this sleeve being provided with insulating blocks causing bridging of a closed circuit Vwhen the indicator element has been turned to the desired position.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this signal thatV it may be provided vwith a single ,indicator element when used at the rear of an automobile or with indicator elements extending indiverging relation so that ithe indicators may be seen from the front or at one side when the signal is used at the front of the car.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a direction signal which willrbe relativelyy simple in lconstruction and very eicient in operation.

Figure 4 is a. similar view with the arm I extension of the housing shown in full length and showing a wiring diagram and Vswitch associated therewith and shown applied to a rear signal having a single arm extension from the housing.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4. Y

This improved direction signal is provided with a, housing l which may be provided with a single indicator containing arm or chamber 2 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 or may be provided with a pair of these arms or chambers 2 which will extend in diverging relation to each other as shown in Figs. l and 2 so that the signal may be readily seen by persons in front of the automobile or at one side thereof. A rear signal will be mounted by means of a suitable bracket as indicated by dottedl lines in Fig. 4. The front signal will be preferably provided with a clamp extension 3 which extends from the motor housing l between and preferably below the arms 2 so that this clamp may be secured about the illing neck of the radiator. `Within each of the side arms there has been provided an indicator element in the form of a box or casing 4 having its side walls provided with cutouts covered by transparent sheets 5 upon which will be printed statements indicating the movement the automobile is about to take. has a head' at one end provided with an opening which receives the socket 6. to carry the bulb 7, this socket @being carried by the closure .8 at the end ofthe stationary arm 2. At the opposite endV of the box, there has been provided a hollow pivot stem extension `9 which extends through a bearing 10. It will thus lbepseen thatlthe indicator willbe 'rotatably mountedlinthe arms 2. It willfbe This im further noted that since the pivot stem 9 is hollow, a power Wire 11 Which Will be conneoted with the lighting system of the auto mobile may be passed into the motor housing l and through the hollow pivot stern 9 and connected With the socket 6, this soket 6 being grounded so that the circuit will be oo rnf pleted through the lamp.y In -o'rder to impart rotary movement to the indicator, lthere hasr been provided anv 'electrically operated motor which Will have a conventional ifcon-` struction and is indicated in general bythe numeral 1.2.A This niotor is Secured in the motor housingaby means of a `,fastener 13 which passes through the head 14 at the lower end oit the housing and is provided with .the usualshatt 16 upo-navhieh Will be l meddtedy e lerafeled seal 17 uhlell meshes Y with efbeveled geef ldY Carried ley the rivet etere eed-Prev thickened-portion seef 20 er this 'see20'fmeif be termed ee e Seperate 'elem-elle' eed eeedred dren the rivet- .stem 9. This `beveled 'gear .2O inesheswith a similar gear 21 carried `by the pivot stern of the second indicatorso that When the motor is in motio'n,both indicato-rs will be rotated a like amount. sleeve 22 which may or may not be formed integral with the gear 18 is Yfast upon the .stem :extension 9 and will be formed of metal so y.that current may pass Vthrough the sleeve to the stein extension 9 andv through'this stemte `the motor houslesy lBleelee 23 vhieh are -efmed efineulee ing material are embedded inthe sleeve, 22 ,at points about its ,ciroumi'erence and are so located that when kone ofthe bloeks is engaged by its co-operating contact arm 24, theremaining contact arm .24 will still lhe in engagement Vwith the sleeve. These contact arms 24 are carried by a strip v25 forinedof insulating material which is-carried by a bracket 26 secured Aagainst 1the sideof .the motor housing..` bracket 26in addi@V tion to carrying lthe insulating strip 2 5 also carriesv an yelectro-magnet 27 and Ha standard 28 upon Whieh Will he pivdtally mounted va latch lever v29 Whieli extends for engagement With the side extension 1,9 of the geardl and will beyieldahly heldin position -tor engagement hy the abutment pin dO'of this extension byY means ot a spring 31. The handle end, portion 29 of this latch lever extends over the electiofniagnet so that when` they electro-magnet energized, the latch lever be swung yout of position for engagement by.4V l Y Pine e0. Aerreeefthe vii-all ofA he i. tree. eed rertleeireeeleser edge .et fthe. eide. eaeesseafle .settembre pins may readily pass this spring strip when the gear 18 is rotating in one direction. The spring strip however serves to prevent re- Aversemovement of the gear and pivot stein and therefore after lthe signal has been in a reverse direction. yFrom an inspection of Fig. 5,V it Will be readily seen thati With thevlatch lever in the operative position, a

V'pinfSO ivill be positioned between the latch .lever `vandthe jffree end of the spring strip and thus the indicator Will be securely held 'against movement out of the desired posi-` tion.

This'motor l12 is connected with the leleetgno-inagnet by the usual Wires and is ronn'ded upon-the-:head 14 Which closes'the ver end of the motorhousing hy means Vof a greunding Wirev34. r`Ehe avir which .extends-teem theeleell-fO-elesnet leeds te Athe Ybetter-r eretllel ,eeuree df eleetre energyd ltwvilhthus beseenthat when current is 'ipaeelesdereusll eee el the Wires 37 Vwhich desde tremltlle'eeiteet erm 24, this Current -niust pass through the sleeve.- 22 and lpivot etem'l?) 'te the .dieter Y-heeenjs end ellen idees Vthroughthe Wire 34 `to the motor to energiae thenioter -and through the 'wire .33 tof-y jellersize the strips 44 rund't'.V These strips 44 and -arev'placejd uin the housing l38 above the end per-biene 39 end lield in eneeed irelaten te vthe strips E39-by means of links 46. VButtons 47 Vare provided so that when desired the strip 44 or the strip 445 can be rocked against the `ulerum .48 or 49 anda selected contact 42^broi-ight into engagement with a selected centaet 41and thus complete a circuit so that the -eurrent can pass through 'one of the Weesdtlftdthe bet-tery- Y Whse "this 'Signal ie in use, it Will be ineunted' upion the automobile and in the preferred Arm a'sig-nalfwillbe placed at the rear the Yauto-.rnodailev and another mounted at the trent thereof. The Wires 35 and 37 will ,of odursebe providedjivith lor-anches so that'the tive signals may be simultaneously enerenlfieteleatteii d? Willie eeeeeeddewe- Werdly end this 'Will edd. etehe ymoved to the desired position, it cannot move o .operated frein a single switclnavhich Vas prer erred te, denverether.Suitable-information te epedeetr enfer the dufver et enethereed the strip 44 or 45 downwardly and bring the desired contact 43 into engagement with the co-operating contact 42. This will complete a. circuit which will cause the motor to be energized and the electro-magnet to be energizedV The electro-magnet will draw the handle end portion 29 of the latch lever- 29 downwardly and thus move the latch lever upwardly out of the way so that the gear 18 may rotate and thus turn the indicator 4 within the arm or casing 2. This rotation will continue as long as the contact arm 24 which is connected with the depressed contact 43 is in engagement with the metal sleeve 22 but as soon as the contact arm 24 engages the co-operating insulating block 23, the circuit will of course be broken by this insulating block and the flow of current through the motor and electro-magnet prevented. The operation of the motor will cease and the latch lever will be released so that the spring 31 can draw it downwardly into engagement with the extension 19 of the gear 18. The elements will then again assume the normal position with a pin positioned between the free end of the strip 32 and the free end portion of the latch lever 29. The indicator will thus be secured in the desired position and since this indicator is illuminated by the bulb 7, the signal will convey the desired information. Of course, it' the signal is already set in the desired position, downward pressure upon a button will not cause further operation as the contact arm 24 which would otherwise be in engagement with the sleeve 22 will be in engagement with a block 23 and the circuit will be interrupted. There has thus been provided al signal which will operate very eiiiciently and can be used at the front of an auntomobile and at the rear thereof.

I claim: l

i1. In a signal structure, a support, an indicator having a mounting stem rotatably carried by said support, an electrically operated drive for said indicator carried by said support, latch means for controlling rotation of the indicator and including a latch lever, a releasing magnet serving to move the lever to an inoperative position, a gearl carried by said stem and turning with the indicator and having engagement with a gear carried by said drive, abutment pins extending radially from said gear Jfor engaging the latch lever when the latch lever is .in an operative position to hold the gear against rotation in one direction, a spring strip engaging the gear in spaced relation latch release, and means for breaking the circuit and permitting movement of the latch to an operative position.

2. Tn a signal structure, a rotatably mounted indicator, an electrically operated drive for said indicator, means for transmitting movement from said drive to said indicator including an element carried by and turning with said indicator, abutment pins extending from said element, a latch movably mounted and yieldably held in an operative position for engaging a pin and preventing rotation in one direction, electrically operated means for moving said latch to an inoperative position, a spring strip extending in spaced relation to said latch whereby a pin may be confined between the latch and spring strip and the indicator held against rotation in either direction, an energizing circuit for said drive and latch releasing means, and means moving with the indicator for interrupting the flow of current and permitting return of the latch to an operative pin engaging position after a pin has passed said spring strip.

3. Tn a direction signal, a support, a rotatable indicator including a pivot stem rotatablj,7 carried by said support, a gear and sleeve carried by said stem and turning with the stem, the gear being thickened to provde a side extension, abutment-s extending radially from-the side extension of the gear, a resilient strip having a free end portion extending circumferentially of the gear and permitting rotation thereof in one direction and through engagement with the abutments preventing reverse rotation, a pivotally mounted latch yieldably held in engagement with side extension of said gear for engagement by the abutments to hold an abutment between the latch and resilient strip and hold the gear against rotation in the rst direction, an electro-magnet for moving the latch to a releasing position, an electrically operated .motor for imparting rotary movement to said gear, an energizing circuit including a movable contact, and means moving with said sleeve for moving said contact to break the circuit after the indicator has moved to a desired position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM E. SQUIER. 

